Writing instrument



April 9, 1963 A. DOITTLINGER wRmNc. INSTRUMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed001;. 22, 1959 A ril 9, 1963 A. DOTTLINGER WRITING INSTRUMENT 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 6 Filed Oct. 22, 1959 Fla 5 FIG 4 M WMWEHWNNuwQNk wowd FIG 7 3,984,670 WRITING INSTRUMENT Alfred Dottiinger, Kirchdorf(Krerns), Austria, assignor of one-half to Jacob Ritter, KIT, Brenshach,Qden- Wald, Germany Filed Oct. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 848,080 Claimspriority, application Austria Feb. 17, 1955 3 Claims. (Cl. 12ti-42Al3)This application is a continuation in part of my former applicationSerial No. 532,925, filed September 7, 1955, now abandoned. I

This invention relates to writing instruments, particularly Writinginstruments of the ball-point type.

A ball-point pen with a retractable ink reservoir having a ball-pointmounted on the exposable end of the reservoir requires a spring loadedlocking means to hold the reservoir and ball-point in writing andcarrying positions respectively. The reservoir and ball-point willhereinafter be called the writing means.

Heretofcre a locking means, utilizing a ball as a locking member incooperation with spring loading writing means was actuated by a manuallyoperated plunger for displacing the locking ball longitudinally and bytilting the pen for displacing the ball transversely in order for it tolock itself and the writing means in position. The pen had to be til-tedin different directions for locking and unlocking the operation requiredsome manual dexterity to be generally successful.

The primary object of the invention therefore is to provide a springloaded locking mechanism for writing instruments utilizing a ball as thelocking member which is positively controlled in both its longitudinaland its circumferential movements and which requires no manual dexterityto operate successfully.

In carrying out the invention, a writing instrument and moreparticularly a ball-point pen is provided, which has a body, aplunger-operated, spring-loaded writing means mounted for slidingmovement in said body, and locking means for locking said writing meansin writing and retracted positions. The locking means comprises a ball,the travel of which is restricted between opposing semicircular groovesformed respectively in the writing means actuating plunger and in thebody or a sleeve in the body. The grooves slidably cooperate tosimultaneously engage the locking ball to hold it under the action ofsaid spring, in either of two alternative positions corresponding to thewriting and retracted positions of the writing means.

Thus a feature of the invention is that the ball as a lock-t ing memberis no longer freely movable and exposed only to the influence of itsmass and gravity in its movements, but is guided positively alongpredetermined paths with each of its two halves simultaneously engagedin one of two opposing and intersecting grooves which are togethercircular in their cross section. One of the grooves is formed in thebody, or a sleeve in the body of the writing instrument and the othergroove is formed in the plunger. These grooves comprise acircumferential groove and a longitudinal groove each of semi-circularcross section and which slide relative to each other when the plunger isactuated. The locking ball is confined in and displaced with the movingpoint of intersection of the grooves and moves practically free offriction and wear, from one to another of the writing and retractedpositions in cyclical sequence. As a result the locking and release ofthe writing means may be obtained solely by finger pressure on theplunger without additional tiltings of the writing instrument becausethe movements of the ball member takes place under the influence of theplunger or spring and the coincidence of the opposed recesses at alltimes. The plunger may also be operated by a longitudinal 3384,57 0Patented Apr. 9, 1963 ice thrusting motion followed by an abrupt arrestof the motion imparted by the hand to the instrument in the direction ofthe writing tip. In this case the tension of the spring is reduced inorder that the writing means will spring forward into its Writingposition at the first longitudinal motion and at the second motion willspring back to its retracted position. The direction of the thrustingmotion is the same in both cases.

Other objects and features of the invention will become more fullyapparent from the following description and the appended claims,reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a ball-point pen having a balllocking means actuated by push button and having a longitudinal grooveapplied to the inner Wall of body or sleeve.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 of the body andsleeve members of the invention.

FIG. 2a is an enlarged view of the ball guide path of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a partial view similar to that of FIG. 1 of a modifiedembodiment having an inverted J-shaped groove applied to the plunger.

FIG. 3a represents the ball guide path of the locking means of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of another modification of i8.locking means that is actuated by longitudinal thrusting motion andwhere a longitudinal groove is provided in :a closed top clip sleeve.

' FIG. 4a shows the ball guide path of the locking means of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of another embodiment of a push buttontype locking means having a different reservoir and spring arrangement.

FIG. 6 shows a modified clip sleeve projecting above the body of thewriting instrument and having a circumferential groove.

FIG. 6a is a sectional view taken along line 6a--6a of FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 shows another modification of a projecting clip sleeve, having acircumferential groove aligned with a front slot.

FIG. 7 a is a section taken along line 7a-7a of FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 'shoWs a modified plunger with a sectional groove.

Referring to FIG. 1, the Writing means 10 slidably arranged in the body11 of a ball-point pen is acted upon by a coil shaped spring 12 and isconnected at its upper end to a plunger 13, which is guided in a guidesleeve 14, which is inserted in the body 11 as a threaded clip sleeve. Alocking element in the form of a ball 16, half of which is accommodatedand guided in a circumferential groove 17 in the periphery of plunger 13and the other half of which is accommodated and guided in a longitudinalgroove 18 which is formed in the inside wall of the threaded clipretaining sleeve 14 and provides two pockets 19 and 21 for the ball 16on levels spaced in accordance with the positions of the writing means10. The pockets for the ball 16 in the retracted position of the writingmeans is designated 19 and that for the writing position designated 21.

The springdoaded locking means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises acontinuous groove 18 disposed in the inside wall of the threaded clipretaining sleeve 14 as a guide groove for the ball 16. The exact basicform of the groove 18 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 2a. The groove 18 isslanted relative to the longitudinal axis of the Writing instrument. Alancet shaped island 22 is formed between the periphery of groove 18. Atthe lower end of island 22 pocket 21 is formed. The upper pocket 19 isthe top curvature of the groove 18. The lowest end of the island 26 endsin a nose 23 extending into groove 18 and narrowing the ball path atthat point. This groove form is for use with pushbutton actuated lockingmechanisms in which the longitudinal grooves are in the body or sleeve.The circumferential groove 17 is formed in the periphery of the plunger13. This embodiment of the locking means is suitable for actuation bypushbutton.

Referring to FIG. 3, in this embodiment of the invention, the invertedJ-shaped longitudinal guidegroove 39 is provided in the plunger 31 in areverse arrangement from that of FIG. 1. The circumferential groove 32for the ball is disposed in the threaded clip retaining sleeve 33 or, asis shown in FIG. 3, groove 36* may be formed as a circumferential slotby leaving a space between the lower part of the correspondingly sharpthread clip retaining sleeve 34 and the upper part of an inserted sleeve33.

The groove form illustrated in FIG. 3a is used when the longitudinalgroove or recess is in the plunger.

Referring to FIG. 4, in this embodiment of the invention, thelongitudinal guide for the ball 49 consists of a J-shaped groove 41disposed in the inside wall of the threaded clip retaining sleeve 42 andshown in FIG. 4a. The two ends formed as pockets 43 and 44 for the ball40 have a height difference which corresponds to the difference betweenthe two positions of the writing means 10 (FIG. 1). The plunger 46 isguided by its collar 47 in the sleeve 42 and by its top part 48 in abore of the closing cap of the sleeve 42. A cylindrical annular cavity49 is left free between the upper part of the plunger and thecylindrical wall of the threaded clip retaining sleeve 42. In thewriting position the step formed by the collar 47 urges the ball 40against the groove end 51 under the action of the return spring 12. Torelease the mechanism from and to lock it in the writing position, alongitudinal thrusting motion is imparted to the pen in the direction ofthe writing tip so that after the pen has been arrested, plunger 46 andwriting means 20 (FIG. 1) will continue to move under the impartedmomentum until the ball 40 is arrested by the foremost part of thegroove 41. Owing to its momentum the ball 40 will be shifted in eitherdirection from one part of groove 41 to the other, whereafter thewriting means and the plunger are urged upward by the spring 12 (FIG. 1)until the ball is received in the corresponding pockets 43 or 44. Thisembodiment is primarily suitable for actuation by longitudinal thrustingmotion imparted to the pen. A stop 52 limits the downward movement ofthe plunger.

The spring loaded means shown in FIG. 4 is responsive only to momentumforces produced by longitudinal thrusting motions imparted to the pen. AJ-shaped guide groove 41 is provided in the inside wall of the sleeve 42and an annular circumferential groove 53 in the plunger 46. The threadedclip retaining sleeve 42 is closed at the top and is fully protectedagainst dirt and dust which is a special advantage for the improvedfunction of a spring loaded means. Another advantage resides in the factthat an unintended depression of the plunger is precluded for such anunintended depresssion could otherwise easily happen in view of the weakreturn spring particularly when the writing instrument is carried in apocket.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. upper and lower parts 55 and 56 of thebody of the writing instrument are connected by a middle sleeve 57having a standardized screw thread and formed with longitudinal guidegroove 58. The upwardly extending plunger 59 slidably arranged in saidsleeve is formed with an annular circumferential groove 60. The returnspring 61 falls against the upper part of the threaded middle sleeve 57and against collar 62 of the extension of the plunger. The writing meansis connected to the plunger 59 and follows its movements.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show modifications of the clip sleeve, suitable for theembodiment of FIG. 3. The end collars 65 and 75, respectively, projectabove the instrument body and are preferably tapered. Both alternativesare space 4 saving and allow the locking mechanism to be used in thethinnest writing instruments.

The sleeve shown in FIG. 6 and in the corresponding sectional view ofFIG. 6a has an inner horizontal groove 66 applied to the upper,projecting portion of collar 65, where it does not weaken the relativelythin, threaded, lower sleeve portion. The co-operation with the matingplunger groove 30 (FIG. 3) is identical with that described inconnection with FIGS. 3 and 3a.

In the modification illustrated in FIG. 7 and its sectional view, FIG.7a, the collar 75 has, immediately below its widened upper portion, aninner groove 76 similar to groove 66 of the previous embodiment, andalso a slot 77 at the opposite side. This alternative facilitates themanufacture of these sleeves by economic methods, by means of a toolinserted through the front opening 77 which is preferably somewhat Widerthan the inner groove 76.

The modified lift pin 8t shown in FIG. 8 is adapted for use in thesystem of FIG. 1. A circumferential groove 81 extends only partly aroundthe pin, unlike the complete annular groove 17 of pin 13 (FIG. 1).Similarly to the previous clip-sleeve modifications, this alternativeplunger is designed to reduce the practicable measurement limits of thewriting instrument. It is understood, however, that the groove 81 can beapplied also to the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5, without affecting thecooperation with the mating longitudinal grooves 41 and 58 respectively.

The operation of the plunger-operated, spring-loaded, ball-locking meanswhen the plunger is depressed by hand is as follows: when a movement ofa plunger is initiated by pressure thereon the ball will move accordingto FIGS. 1 and 2, first from its position at the upper pocket 19 (shownin FIG. 1 in dash and dot lines) downwardly in the right hand section ofthe groove 18 according to FIG. 2a while it is at the same timecircumferentially displaced in and positively guided by thecircumferential groove 17 of the plunger 13. When the ball has reachedthe nose 23 and the plunger is released the ball will be urged into thatlower pocket to lock the reservoir 10 in its writing position. During asubsequent second depression which is somewhat stronger to force theball past nose 23, the ball is pushed to the bottom of groove 18 and isfurther circumferentially displaced thereby in the circumferentialgroove 17, passing the constriction of the lower right section of thegroove formed by nose 23 of the island. Upon release of the plunger theball is lifted out of said lower position by the circumferential groove17 and the plunger and is guided back in the left portion of groove 18,while moving back in the circumferential groove 17 to its initial orretracted position. The ball thus follows a closed path in thelongitudinal groove 18 and moves back and forth in the circumferentialgroove 17.

The operation of the locking means by means of a thrusting motion in thedirection of the ball-point requires a longitudinal groove having abasic J-shape and is performed as follows: as a result of the firstlongitudinal thrusting motion imparted to the pen, illustrated in FIG.4, in the direction of the ball-point, both the ball 40 and the plunger46 move from one of the pockets 43 and 44 toward the arcuate portion ofthe J-shaped groove where the ball is deflected from one groovecircumferentially to the other owing to its momentum while it issimultaneously transversely displaced in the circumferential groove 53.The writing means It) follows the movement of the plunger 46 to which itis connected. Thereafter the ball is urged by the lower side of thecircumferential groove under the influence of the return spring to theother pocket. A second thrusting motion directed toward the tip causesthe operation to be repeated but the ball now travels back to lock thewriting means again in its original position. In order to provide in thearcuate portion of the J-shaped groove room for the ball which issuflicient to enable it to move from one side part to the other underthe action of its momentum the circumferential groove is made higherthan would be necessary for a rolling of the ball therein. For the samepurpose a stop of the plunger is provided in the form of the insertedsleeve 52 (FIG. 3).

Although the invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure is made byWay of example and that numerous changes in detaiis of construction andthe combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

What I claim is:

1. A writing instrument having a tubular *body with a writing end and anopposite end, writing means longitudinally slidable in said body andmovable in and out of said writing end to retracted and writingpositions, spring means mounted in the body for biasing the writingmeans toward said opposite end, and locking means mounted in saidopposite end comprising: a ball; a tubular sleeve fixed in said oppositeend; a plunger longitudinally slidable in said sleeve and engaging saidspring-biased writing means to move it against said spring bias towriting position and for releasing said writing means to be moved to theretracted position by said spring means; the tubular sleeve and plungerhaving slidably engaging coaxial surfaces with a groove in each of, saidsurfaces; one of said grooves extending transverse to the longitudinalaxis of said surfaces and the other of said grooves extending bothcircumferentially and longitudinally and crossing said one groove toform at the point of crossing a space receiving and confining said ball,each of said grooves having a depth less than the diameter of said ballso that said ball is at all times confined partly in one groove andpartly in the other, said other groove having ball guiding side portionsdefining two ball-receiving pockets both facing in a direction toreceive and retain said ball when said plunger is pressed longitudinallyby said spring means, said pockets being circumferentially offset andspaced longitudinally relative to one another and correspondingrespectively to the retracted and writing positions of said writingmeans, said other groove further having a smoothly curved connectingportion extending between said two pockets for passage of said ball fromone pocket to the other and having a ball-guiding side portion whichcurves circunrfierentially and longitudinally to define a cam surfaceengaged by said ball when said plunger is manually depressed against thebias of said spring means to cam said ball positively in acircumferential direction from one of said pockets to the other wherebysaid ball is positively moved from one of said pockets to the other bysuccessive longitudinal movements of said plunger, said writing meansbeing thereby held in writing position when said ball is in one pocketand in retracted position when said ball is in the other of saidpockets.

2. In a writing instrument as described in claim 1 and characterized inthat said ball-carrying pockets are respectively defined between theball-guiding side portions of the two closed ends of a J-shaped groove.

3. In a Writing instrument as described in claim 1 and characterized inthat said ball-carrying pockets are defined in an elliptically-shapedclosed groove having ball guiding side portions and narrow ends, theouter of said side portions defining a ball-carrying pocket in onenarrow end, and the inner of said side portions defining a secondball-carrying pocket near the other narrow end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS362,121 Spear May 3, 1887 2,611,343 Aimes Sept. 23, 1952 2,671,354 GoosMar. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,026 Great Britain of 1887 429,814 ItalyMay 10, 1947 428,427 Italy Dec. 16, 1947 162,533 Austria Mar. 10, 19491,023,101 France Dec. 24, 1952

1. A WRITING INSTRUMENT HAVING A TUBULAR BODY WITH A WRITING END AND ANOPPOSITE END, WRITING MEANS LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE IN SAID BODY ANDMOVABLE IN AND OUT OF SAID WRITING END TO RETRACTED AND WRITINGPOSITIONS, SPRING MEANS MOUNTED IN THE BODY FOR BIASING THE WRITINGMEANS TOWARD SAID OPPOSITE END, AND LOCKING MEANS MOUNTED IN SAIDOPPOSITE END COMPRISING: A BALL; A TUBULAR SLEEVE FIXED IN SAID OPPOSITEEND; A PLUNGER LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE IN SAID SLEEVE AND ENGAGING SAIDSPRING-BIASED WRITING MEANS TO MOVE IT AGAINST SAID SPRING BIAS TOWRITING POSITION AND FOR RELEASING SAID WRITING MEANS TO BE MOVED TO THERETRACTED POSITION BY SAID SPRING MEANS; THE TUBULAR SLEEVE AND PLUNGERHAVING SLIDABLY ENGAGING COAXIAL SURFACES WITH A GROOVE IN EACH OF SAIDSURFACES; ONE OF SAID GROOVES EXTENDING TRANSVERSE TO THE LONGITUDINALAXIS OF SAID SURFACES AND THE OTHER OF SAID GROOVES EXTENDING BOTHCIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND LONGITUDINALLY AND CROSSING SAID ONE GROOVE TOFORM AT THE POINT OF CROSSING A SPACE RECEIVING AND CONFINING SAID BALL,EACH OF SAID GROOVES HAVING A DEPTH LESS THAN THE DIMETER OF SAID BALLSO THAT SAID BALL IS AT ALL TIMES CONFINED PARTLY IN ONE GROOVE ANDPARTLY IN THE OTHER, SAID OTHER GROOVE HAVING BALL GUIDING SIDE PORTIONSDEFINING TWO BALL-RECEIVING POCKETS BOTH FACING IN A DIRECTION TORECEIVE AND RETAIN SAID BALL WHEN SAID PLUNGER IS PRESSED LONGITUDINALLYBY SAID SPRING MEANS, SAID POCKETS BEING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OFFSET ANDSPACED LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER AND CORRESPONDING